Backing fabrics and method of weaving them



April 3, 1956 FIG. I.

H. SHUTTLEWORTH 2,740,430

BACKING FABRICS AND METHOD OF WEAVING THEM 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOZ/VEXS'.

April 3, 1956 H. L. SHUTTLEWORTH 2,740,430

BACKING FABRICS AND METHOD OF WEAVING THEM 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

Filed Jan. 27, 1955 FIG. 6.

INVENTOR. KJZMW/K FIG. 8.

\ g gaz mvmzwwH W. AW W gun BACKDJG FABRICS AND lXIiE'IK-IOD F WEAVING THE.

Howard L. Shuttleworth, Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Mohawk Carpet Mills, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 27, 1955, Serial No. 484,458

9 Claims. (Cl. 139-20) This invention relates to textile fabrics and their production and is concerned more particularly with a fabric of novel construction and a method, by which the fabric can be rapidly and efliciently woven. The fabric of the invention is of open weave and it can be woven on looms by the new method in widths twice as great as that of the fabrics produced on such looms by standard methods. Because of its open weave and the unusually wide widths, in which the new fabric can be produced, it is well adapted for use as the base or backing of pile fabrics for floor covering purposes made by tufting operations on multi-needle sewing machines.

The manufacture of sewn tufted pile floor covering fabrics has increased rapidly in recent years and sewing machines for making such fabrics in widths comparable with the widths of broadloom carpets woven on carpet looms are now available. Sewn tufted fabrics require a base or backing fabric, through which the loops of pile yarn are inserted by the needles to form the pile, and, as the size of the sewing machines has increased, the demand for wide backing fabrics has correspondingly increased. Such backing fabrics should have a width as great as the finished carpet, since, if the backing is made of two pieces secured together, the seam is likely to be visible in the pile surface. Heretofore, the backing fabrics used have been heavy tightly woven fabrics typified by duck or burlap, although the dense construction of such fabrics is objectionable, in that it causes heating of the needles with resultant breakage. Also, there are not now in this country enough looms capable of producing standard duck and burlap fabrics in the wide widths desired to satisfy the demand for such fabrics for backings for sewn tufted goods.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of a novel fabric especially adapted for use as a backing fabric to be tufted on a sewing machine, which imposes little strain on the needles in tufting, provides the desired support for the pile yarns, and can be made by the new method on a conventional loom in double the width of the fabric ordinarily woven on the loom. The new fabric is formed of warp yarns interwoven with double picks of filling yarns and is made in two longitudinal sections woven one above the other on the loom. The fabric is woven on a loom which includes a needle motion for inserting the filling picks and a selvage shuttle mechanism for interlocking a selvage cord with each double pick, and a double needle Axminster carpet loom, which has means for feeding pile yarn selectively to the needles and from which the tube frame and transfer mechanism has been removed, is ideal for the purpose. In weaving the new fabric in accordance with the new method, the warp yarns are formed into upper and lower sheds and picks of filling yarn are inserted alternately into the sheds in the two levels to form the two longitudinal sections connected by lengths of filling yarn passing from one level to the other.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 and '2 are exploded plan and side elevational views, respectively, of one form of the new fabric having a single filling yarn;

Figs. '3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, of a modified form of the new fabric;

Fig. 5 is an exploded plan view of a form of the new fabric, in which two filling yarns are employed;

Fig. 6 is an exploded side elevational view showing the fabric of Fig. 5 and the shedding operation employed in producing it;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the selective mechanism for supplying two filling yarns to the needles of the loom;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the selvage shuttle mechanism used in the loom; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 8, showing the action of the selvage shuttles.

The new fabric in the form shown in Fig. 1 is made up of two longitudinal sections 10, 11, each comprising warp yarns 12 interwoven with pairs 13, 14 of picks of a single filling yarn F. The picks of each pair are connected together at the outer edges of the fabric to form series of loops, through which respective selvage cords 15 are passed, and the pairs of picks in the two sections of the fabric are staggered, so that the picks of each pair in each section are continuous with picks of pairs in the other section at opposite sides of the first pair. Thus, pick 16 of pair 13a in section 10 is continuous with pick 17 of pair 14:: in section 11 offset at one side of pair 13a. The second pick 18 of pair 13a is continuous with pick 19 of pair 14b of section 11 offset at the other side of pair 13a. Adjacent pairs of picks, such as pairs 14a, 14b, in all forms of the new fabric are spaced a distance equal to at least twice the diameter of a filling yarn and, in the form of the fabric shown in Fig. 1, the separation of adjacent pairs of picks is considerably greater.

Adjacent warp yarns 12 in the fabric of Fig. l are spaced apart, so as to form openings in rows extending across the fabric. The warp yarns may be interwoven singly with the pair of picks of filling yarn, as shown, or, if preferred, the fabric may be woven with two warp yarns in each dent of the reed, in which event the warp yarns lie in pairs with the yarns of a pair close together and adjacent pairs separated. In the latter construction, the separation between adjacent pairs of warp yarns is approximately the same as the spacing between adjacent single warp yarns shown in Fig. 1. The warp yarns 12a, 121), which are the yarns lying at the adjacent edges of the sections it 11, are spaced a distance approximately the same as that between adjacent yarns in the sections and the selvage cords 15 in the two sections lie at about the same spacing from the adjacent warp yarns in those sections.

The fabric of Fig. 1 is woven on a loom having, as shown in Fig. 8, two needles 2t), 21 carried by a mounting indicated at 22 and reciprocated by a conventional mechanism for the purpose. Each needle has an open slot 23 forming an eye in its outer end and the weft yarn F is brought in front of the eyes of the needles by a selective feeding mechanism. This mechanism includes a bell crank lever 24 pivotally mounted on a fixed part 25 of the loom frame and having an eye 26 at the end of one arm for guiding the filling yarn F drawn from a package. The lever 24 is rocked by a cam not shown acting through linkage 27 and, in the operation of the loom, the lever 24 is so moved that its eye 26 places the yarn F in position to enter the eyes of needles 2t) and 21 in alternation. When a loop of the filling yarn F is inserted into the warp shed by one of the needles, the selvage cord is passed through the loop by one of a pair of selvage shuttles 23, 29 mounted one above the other in a guideway 30 on a suitable support. A bobbin carrying selvage cord is mounted in a recess in each shuttle and the shuttles are reciprocated in the guideway by an arm 31 mounted adjacent the guideway for swinging movement and actuated through a connection 32 by an arm 33 mounted on an oscillating shaft 34.

In the operation of the loom to produce the fabric of Fig. l, the warp yarns in each of the sections 10, 11 are divided into two groups and the yarns of each group are controlled by a harness H. The harnesses controlling the groups 120, 120 of yarns of section are actuated in such manner that the groups of yarns are formed into successive sheds in an upper level with the yarns of the groups lying alternately in the upper and lower lines of the sheds. Similarly, the harnesses controlling the groups 12b, 12a of yarns of section 11 are operated to form the yarns of those groups into successive sheds in a lower level with the yarns of the two groups lying alternately in the upper and lower lines of the sheds. Sheds as described are formed simultaneously in the upper and lower levels and the needles are inserted into the respective sheds. However, only one needle is effective to carry a loop of filling yarn F into a shed, so that, as the yarn is supplied alternately to the needles, pairs of picks 13, 14 are inserted in alternation in sheds in the upper and lower levels. Each double pick of yarn inserted is beaten up by the reed in the customary way and the finished fabric is taken up by the usual loom take-up mechanism. The lay carrying the reed and the take-up mechanism are so coordinated in operation that the fabric is taken up one step after each insertion of a pair of picks of filling yarn, so that each pair of picks in one level is spaced in the finished fabric from the previously inserted pair of picks in that level and the double picks in each level are staggered in relation to the double picks in the other level. The operation described produces the fabric sections 10, 11, one above the other, and the sections are connected by the lengths Fa. of filling yarn extending generally vertically between the sections. Each section so produced has a width equal to the .width of the fabric produced on the loom in normal operation but, when the fabric is to be used for tufting purposes, it is opened up, so that the sections lie side by side, as shown in Fig. 1. The fabric then has a width equal to double the width of a section plus the distance between the warp yarns 12a, 12b.

The fabric shown in Fig. 3 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1 in being made of a pair of longitudinal sections 10, 11, each comprising warp yarns 12 interwoven with pairs 13', 14 of picks of a single filling yarn F1. The fabric of Fig. 3 differs from that of Fig. l in that one pick of each pair in each section of the fabric extends straight across the fabric through the two sections from one edge of the fabric to the other. Thus, the pick 18 of the pair 13a extends straight across the fabric from one edge to the other, while the other pick 16' of the pair 13'a extends across section 10' and is then connected to pick 17 of a pair 14'b in section 11, which is offset at one side of the pair 13'a.

The fabric shown in Fig. 3 is made on a two-needle loom in the same manner as the fabric shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except for a change in the operation of the take-up mechanism. In the production of the fabric of Fig. l, the take-up mechanism operates to take up the fabric one step after each insertion of a double pick of filling, whereas, in the production of the fabric of Fig. 3, the finished fabric is taken up only after the insertion of two double picks in sheds in the two levels. Also one step in the take-up of the Fig. 3 fabric is twice as great as a step in the take-up of the Fig. 1 fabric. In the Fig. l fabric, the lengths Fa of filling yarn extending from one section of the fabric to the other lie at an angle of about 60 to the vertical, as the fabric is being woven, whereas, in the fabric of Fig. 3, one of the lengths F's.

of filling yarn connecting the two sections lies at 45 to the vertical and the other length F"a lies vertical.

The fabric shown in Fig. 5 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except that two filling yarns F2, F3 are employed and both yarns are inserted in sheds of warp yarns 12" in the upper and lower levels simultaneously. The yarns are supplied to the needles by selective feeding mechanism of the type previously described, which in-' cludes a second bell crank lever 24' operated by its cam through linkage 27. The two bell crank levers 24, 24' controlling the respective filling yarns operate in such manner that the yarns are fed to the two needles simultaneously and each yarn is fed alternately to the two needles. A double pick of each yarn is thus inserted first in one of the sections 10", 11" of the fabric and then into the other section and the take-up mechanism is operated, so that the spacing between adjacent double picks in each section of the fabric is approximately the same as in the fabric of Fig. 1. As double picks of the two filling yarns are inserted in the fabric of Fig. 5 in each reciprocation of the needles, the fabric can be made twice as fast as the forms of the fabric shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and is, accordingly, preferred.

I claim:

1. A fabric, which comprises a pair of longitudinal sections lying side-by-side in spaced relation and each formed of warp yarns and pairs of picks of filling yarn interwoven with the warp yarns with the picks of each pair lying close together, each pick of filling yarn ex tending from one edge of a section to the other edge of the section with the picks of each pair connected at the outer edge of their section to form a loop and at least one pick of each pair in one section of the fabric joining a member of a pair in the other section of the fabric out of alignment with said pair in the first section, and a selvage cord at the outer edge of each section passing through the loops of filling yarn at that edge.

2. The fabric of claim 1, in which the adjacent pairs of picks of filling yarn in respective sections of the fabric lie spaced a distance equal to at least twice the diameter of a filling yarn.

3. The fabric of claim 1, in which the picks of each pair in one section of the fabric are connected to picks of pairs in the other section of the fabric, which are offset from and on opposite sides of said pair in the first section.

4. The fabric in claim 1, in which two filling yarns are interwoven with the warp yarns, pairs of picks of the respective filling yarns lie in alternation on both sections of the fabric, and the picks of filling yarn in each pair in each section of the fabric are continuous with picks of pairs in the other section, which lie offset from and on opposite sides of said pair in the first section.

5. The fabric of claim 1, in which the warp yarns are spaced from one another and cooperate with the pairs of picks of filling yarn to define openings in rows transverse to the warp yarns.

6. A method of weaving a fabric of warp and filling yarns and selvage cords on a needle loom, which comprises forming a series of warp sheds in an upper level, in which two groups of warp yarns lie alternately in the upper line, and a series of warp sheds in a lower level, in which two other groups of warp yarns lie alternately in the lower line, the groups of yarns appearing in the upper line of the sheds in the upper level having no yarns in common with the groups of yarns appearing in the lower line of the sheds in the lower level, inserting loops of filling yarn alternately into the sheds in the upper and lower levels from the same side of the loom to form double picks, and passing selvage cords through the loops of filling yarn in the respective levels at the side of the loom opposite that from which the loops were inserted.

7. The method of claim 6, in which sheds in the upper and lower levels are formed alternately and loops of a up with the beat-up and take-up occurring in such relasingle filling yarn are inserted into successive sheds. tion that adjacent double picks in respective levels are 8. The method of claim 6, in which sheds in the spaced apart.

upper and lower levels are formed simultaneously, loops of two different filling yarns are inserted simultaneously 5 References Cited in the file Of this Patent into the sheds in the two levels, and the loops inserted UNITED STATES PATENTS into successive sheds in each level are formed alternately of the two filling yarns. 415,143 m y 12, 1889 9. The method of claim 6, in which the double picks 2,0 1,841 LaIlZ May 2 1936 of filling are beaten up and the completed fabric is taken 10 2,563,579 Chapman Aug. 7, 1951 

